How Drivewyze Safety+ Helps Fleets Improve CSA Scores

The Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scoring system is a performance measurement program managed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). These scores help regulators assess a fleet’s safety posture based on roadside inspection data, crash history, and compliance with safety standards.

A fleet’s CSA score impacts everything from insurance rates and driver recruitment to inspection frequency and shipper confidence. Fleets with poor CSA scores face increased scrutiny and greater risk of intervention. On the other hand, fleets with strong scores benefit from fewer roadside delays, better business opportunities, and enhanced reputations.

But improving CSA scores isn’t always straightforward. It requires more than just reacting to violations—it demands a proactive, data-driven approach to driver behavior, route risk, and safety culture.

That’s where Drivewyze Safety+ comes in. By combining real-time driver alerts, customizable safety campaigns, and actionable analytics, Safety+ empowers fleets to identify risk before it becomes a violation—and ultimately supports measurable CSA improvements.

Understanding CSA Scores

CSA stands for Compliance, Safety, Accountability—a program developed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to monitor and improve the safety performance of commercial motor carriers. CSA scores are assigned to carriers based on data from roadside inspections, crash reports, and investigation results. These scores are not just numbers—they’re a reflection of how well a fleet complies with safety regulations and manages risk on the road.

CSA scores are calculated through the Safety Measurement System (SMS), which evaluates safety performance across several key categories and compares carriers to their peers. Poor performance in any category can raise red flags with regulators and lead to increased oversight.

The Seven BASICs

The SMS groups data into seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs). Each BASIC represents a specific area of compliance or driver behavior that affects safety outcomes:

1. Unsafe Driving – Speeding, improper lane changes, distracted driving, and reckless behavior.
2. Hours of Service (HOS) Compliance – Violations related to driving limits and rest breaks, aimed at reducing fatigue-related crashes.
3. Driver Fitness – Ensuring drivers have the proper licensing, training, and medical qualifications.
4. Controlled Substances/Alcohol – Violations involving drug or alcohol use.
5. Vehicle Maintenance – Defective lights, brakes, tires, or other mechanical issues.
6. Hazardous Materials Compliance – Proper packaging, labeling, and handling of hazardous cargo.
7. Crash Indicator – Based on a fleet’s history of crash involvement, with severity and frequency factored in.

Each BASIC contributes to a fleet’s overall CSA standing, and consistent issues in any area can impact the fleet’s compliance risk profile.

Why CSA Scores Matter

Poor CSA scores don’t just raise compliance concerns—they have real business consequences:

• Higher Insurance Premiums: Insurers closely monitor CSA data. Fleets with frequent violations may be viewed as high-risk, leading to increased insurance rates or limited coverage options.
• Increased Inspections and Delays: Fleets with poor scores are more likely to be flagged for roadside inspections. These interruptions can lead to delivery delays, higher operating costs, and lower driver satisfaction.
• Regulatory Intervention or Being Placed Out of Service: Carriers with persistently poor scores may face FMCSA audits, investigations, or interventions. In extreme cases, they can be placed out of service, halting operations entirely.

Understanding CSA scores is the first step toward improving them. The next step is taking targeted, proactive action to reduce violations—and that’s where Drivewyze Safety+ delivers measurable impact.

Common Challenges Fleets Face in Maintaining CSA Scores

Improving and maintaining strong CSA scores is no small feat—especially in a dynamic operating environment where every driver, route, and decision matters. Despite best efforts, many fleets struggle with systemic challenges that impact their ability to stay compliant and reduce safety violations. Here are some of the most common barriers:

Inconsistent Driver Behavior and Lack of Real-Time Coaching

Even with robust safety policies in place, driver behavior can vary widely from person to person. Some drivers may consistently follow best practices, while others may speed, make aggressive lane changes, or miss important warning signs. These inconsistencies can quickly add up, contributing to violations in the Unsafe Driving and HOS Compliance BASICs.

Without real-time feedback, unsafe habits often go uncorrected until a roadside inspection or crash occurs—when it’s already too late. Fleets need a way to intervene in the moment, not after the fact.

Limited Visibility into Risky Driving Zones

Many CSA violations occur in the same types of locations—steep grades, tight curves, congested interchanges, or areas with frequent speed limit changes. Yet, most fleets lack visibility into where these high-risk zones are or how often their drivers encounter them.

This lack of situational awareness means drivers may be entering dangerous areas unprepared. Without timely alerts, even experienced drivers can make avoidable mistakes that lead to costly violations or accidents.

Ineffective or Delayed Training Interventions

Traditional safety training is often scheduled after an incident has occurred or delivered in generic formats that don’t reflect real-world driving conditions. These reactive approaches don’t provide the individualized coaching needed to change driver behavior long-term.

Worse yet, when coaching is delayed or disconnected from specific events (like a speeding violation in a known enforcement zone), the learning opportunity is lost. Fleets need tools that turn everyday driving into learning moments, supported by timely and relevant interventions.

Reactive vs. Proactive Safety Strategies

Many fleets operate in a reactive cycle—waiting for violations, inspections, or crashes to trigger action. While compliance efforts may be in place, they often focus on responding to problems rather than preventing them.

This reactive approach not only drives up risk and costs, but also puts the fleet’s CSA score—and reputation—at the mercy of external events. To truly improve safety and compliance, fleets must shift to proactive strategies that identify risks early, empower drivers to make safer decisions, and create a culture of continuous improvement.

By addressing these challenges head-on with modern tools like Drivewyze Safety+, fleets can move beyond surface-level compliance and make lasting improvements to their CSA performance.

How Drivewyze Safety+ Directly Supports CSA Score Improvement

Improving CSA scores starts with addressing the root causes of violations—and that means equipping both drivers and safety managers with the tools they need to avoid risk in real time, not just react to it later. Drivewyze Safety+ is purpose-built to help fleets take control of their safety performance across multiple CSA BASICs by providing smart, proactive, and targeted interventions.

Here’s how each feature of Safety+ maps to improved performance:

A. Real-Time Driver Alerts for High-Risk Areas

Drivewyze Safety+ delivers in-cab, real-time alerts to drivers as they approach high-risk zones—such as steep grades, sharp curves, reduced speed zones, low bridges, and sudden slowdown areas.

These warnings are based on Drivewyze’s rich, location-based safety intelligence, helping drivers anticipate road conditions that commonly lead to violations or crashes.

CSA Impact:

• Reduces incidents linked to Unsafe Driving (e.g., speeding, erratic maneuvers).
• Improves compliance in areas prone to Vehicle Maintenance or Crash Indicator violations by preventing hard braking and sudden movements that stress equipment.

B. Coachable Moments with Driver Behavior Insights

Safety+ captures key driver behavior data, allowing safety managers to identify risky trends and coach drivers at both the individual and fleet-wide level. Whether it’s frequent speeding, harsh braking, or late driving hours, these “coachable moments” are timely and specific—so feedback is always actionable.

CSA Impact:

• Directly addresses Unsafe Driving and HOS Compliance violations by spotlighting risky habits.
• Supports sustainable behavior change through timely, evidence-based feedback.

C. Location-Based Risk Mapping

By using Drivewyze’s extensive safety database, Safety+ identifies known violation hotspots, including areas with high rates of enforcement or frequent inspection stops. Fleet managers can use these insights to adjust routes, prepare drivers in advance, or apply targeted coaching.

CSA Impact:

• Reduces repeat violations in the same locations, supporting improvements in Crash Indicator and Vehicle Maintenance BASICs.
• Enables smarter route planning and lowers exposure to high-risk zones.

D. Custom Safety Campaigns

With Safety+, fleets can deploy customized in-cab messages to reinforce policies or address specific safety concerns—such as reminding drivers to wear seatbelts, slow down in a work zone, or avoid common distractions.

These messages can be tailored by location, vehicle type, or driver group, making them hyper-relevant and more likely to drive engagement.

CSA Impact:

• Supports ongoing education tied to Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, and Unsafe Driving.
• Creates consistency across the fleet, reinforcing a proactive safety culture on every route.

E. Data-Driven Safety Reports

Safety+ provides clear, intuitive dashboards and safety reports that help managers monitor trends, track performance over time, and prioritize coaching efforts. Whether assessing fleet-wide patterns or individual driver performance, managers gain a full view of what’s working—and what needs attention.

CSA Impact:

• Empowers data-informed decisions that prevent future violations across all BASICs.
• Makes internal safety programs more efficient, targeted, and results-driven.

By aligning each of these capabilities with specific CSA compliance areas, Drivewyze Safety+ becomes more than just a safety tool—it becomes a strategic lever for fleet performance. Fleets using Safety+ aren’t just reacting to violations—they’re proactively building a safer, more compliant operation from the ground up.

Take Control of Your Fleet’s CSA Performance with Drivewyze Safety+

With real-time in-cab alerts, actionable analytics, targeted coaching opportunities, and customizable safety campaigns, Drivewyze empowers your fleet to anticipate risks before they become costly violations. Transform your safety culture from reactive compliance to data-driven prevention, saving your team from unnecessary roadside interventions and protecting your bottom line.